Monday, September 30, 2013

I like to travel without expectations. I knew that Detroit had gone bankrupt; I knew it had been built for several million people and it was now populated by about 250 thousand. I went with my friend and collaborator Sarah for just two days last week. We went looking for the local art scene and we went to explore abandoned architecture.

We had read about the downfall, the revitalization, the urban farming, and of course those abandoned buildings.

Here is what I observed:

Income disparity is evident everywhere. The subway only has 2 cars. The streets are wide and very empty.

The street lights are not on everywhere at night.

GM waters its extensive lawns and casinos light up the skyline in a city where the street lights are not all on at night.

We did not see a single grocery store; the downtown drug store had a caged attendant.

The ubiquitous "Cheks/Liquor/Pizza" mini mall glowing in the night was the hub of activity in many neighbourhoods.

There are whole neighbourhoods where most houses are gone; in the remaining lots there is farming, art installations and land gone fallow, the crickets are loud and cars are few. People are friendly, we asked the locals what to see, where to eat, and what to watch out for.

We left wanting to stay longer; wanting to explore more. Here is a small selection of the many photos I took.

Michigan Ave: three lanes each direction.

Downtown from certain angles looks like any other city.

Michigan Central Station: Our first stop as it dominates the horizon; surrounded by barbed wire, guarded by police.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

About Me

I live and work in the Junction Triangle
in Toronto with my partner and our two tabbies in a commercial style loft. I grow
experimental plants without
pots to explore the components of life first hand and post about it on myblog. My artwork can be found at aleksrdest.com Please contact me
if you would like to arrange to view my work in person. I love meeting people
interested in my work.

Commissions

I have worked with designers,
art consultants, and individuals to create custom artwork for a variety of
public and private spaces. I enjoy the collaborative process. If you have a
vision or a desire; and you think my style would complete it, get in touch.